Study of Sustainable Architectural Design in Thailand

Abstract

Based on the results of the research in 2004, this article aims to suggest a guideline to developan appropriate approach of sustainable architectural design in Thailand. Rather than creating a checklist,this article points out the areas that are commonly ignored by the current approaches of Thai sustainablearchitecture. The analysis is based upon literature review of books, articles, and reports coveringissues related to sustainable development and sustainable, ecological, and green architecture. Theprogress of sustainable development and sustainable architectural design at national and internationallevels are reviewed and analyzed with an intention to compare sustainable architectural design inThailand with a concept of sustainable development and the international theory of sustainable design.Three images that characterize different approaches of sustainable architectural design in Thailand arebuilding technology/energy conservation, culture/vernacular architecture, and community and urbanplanning. According to the study, the approaches of Thai sustainable design are limited and cannotcapture the whole idea of the international concerns toward sustainability. In order to make sustainablearchitectural design in Thailand more comparable to the international approach as well as suitable forThai context and the country’s policy, such as the “Sufficiency Economy” concept, sustainablearchitectural design in Thailand should be more developed and integrate those international concernswith Thailand’s approaches.